Magnetic water-gage for boilers



G. FABER.

Steam Gage.

Patented Nov 26, 1845.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE FABER, or CANTON, onto.

MAGNETIC WATER-GAGE FOR BOILERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 4,288, dated November:26, 1845.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE FABER, of Canton, in the county of Stark andState of Ohio, have invented a new and useful Method of Ascertainin gthe Height of Water in Steam-Boilers 5 and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is a full, clear, and exact description of the principle orcharacter thereof which distinguishes it from all other things beforeknown, and of-the manner of making, constructing, and using the same,reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part of thisspecification, in which- Figure 1,]?late 1, is a perspectiverepresentation of my apparatus detached from the boiler. Fig. 1, Plate:3, is a longitudinal vertical section through the apparatus attached toa steamboiler and Figs. 3 and 4., Plate 1, are separate partsrepresented in perspective.

The same letters are used in all the figures to indicate like parts.

The importance of a reliable means of indicating the height of water insteam-boilers is now universally admitted by engineers, for thereason,indicated by science and established by experience, that thedeficiency of water in boilers is the principal, if not the only, sourceof explosions, and hence the many attempts which have been made toobtain an apparatus for this purpose, which, while it can be relied on,will at the same time be in such a condition as to insure the observanceof the engineer; but, so far as I am informed, all the attemptsheretofore made have failed, because of the difficulty of forming theconnection between the water inside the boiler and an indicator, which,to be practically available to the engineer, must be outside. A floatresting on the water and communicating with an index, a lever, or otherdevice outside, through a stufflng-box, has generally been resorted to;but it is evident that the friction of the stuffln g-box will preventthe working of such an apparatus, which must be sensitive, and whichnecessarily possesses very little power, as the buoyancy of the float isits only actuating force. To avoid this difficulty attempts have beenmade to, put the indicator within the boiler by covering it with glass,but with as little success, for the action of high temperatures, it isknown, renders the glass opaque.

My invention, it is believed, will avoid all these difficulties; and itconsists simply in attaching a magnet to the axis of motion of a Wheelor lever to which the float is suspended or attached, to communicatemotion by attraca float, made in the usual manner, which is suspended bya chain, 1), to a wheel, 0, having two grooves to receive the chains 1)cl, the latter having a counter-Weight, c, by which, as the float rises,the wheel is turned to keep the chain 1) tight and insure the turning ofthe wheel by the movement of the float up and down, the chains for thispurpose being at tached to the periphery of the wheel and windingthereon in opposite directions, as represented in the drawings. Thiswheel 0 is attached to one end of a spindle, f, that passes through andturns in a metal tube, g, and its other end is provided with a naturalor artifl-i cial magnet, h, with its poles at right angles with thespindle f. The tubeg has a screw cut on its outer surface, by which itis inserted into the head of the boiler, and its outer end, i, is enlarged to form a box, j, in which the magnet rotates and in which it isconfined by another box, k, which screws into it with a ground or packedjoint, which effectually prevents all escape of steam through the tubeg, in which the spindle f of the magnet rotates freely.

From the outer face of the'plate Z of the box is, which incloses themagnet, projects a studpin, m, in a line with the axis of the magnet, onwhich is hung a metallic needle or pointer, a, that is carried around bythe attraction of the magnet and indicates by graduations on the plate 1the quantity of water in the boiler. The graduations may indicate therise and fall of the float by inches or parts of an inch at thediscretion of the constructor.

The needle or pointer a should be inclosed in a glass case forprotection, which, being removed to some distance from thehead of theboiler, will not be seriously affected by the temperature thereof, andwill therefore retain its transparency.

The magnet may be made of steel, magnet ized in the usual manner, or ofloadstone, and the surrounding-case, if desired, may consist of copperor any other substance which, in the judgment of the constructor, willmost tend to preserve the magnetism of the magnet.

To prevent the float from sinking or rising too high, pins can projectfrom the back face of the looXj to prevent the magnet h from makin gmore than any desired portion of a revolution.

To avoid the float from being affected by the foaming of the Water inthe boiler, it may be inclosed in a tube closed at the bottom andperforated at the sides for the circulation of the water. The metal tubeg, instead of being screwed into the head-of the boiler, may be securedby flanges or any other known means of forming steam-tight connections;and the connection between the spindle of the magnet and the float,instead of being effected, as described above, by a chain passing over apulley, may be variously arrangedas, for instance, the

float may be attached to an arm projecting from the spindle of themagnet. In short, this connection can be made in any manner which willinsure the rotation of the magnet by the movement of the float.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent,is-

The method herein described, or any other substantially the same, ofindicating the rise and fall of Water in a steam boiler or generator bymeans of an indicator outside thereof actnated by a magnet connectedwith a float or any other body within the boiler that rises and fallswith the water and connected with the magnet, substantially as hereindescribed.

. GEORGE FABER.

Witnesses:

DANIEL DEEVEATTY, HIRAM GRISWOLD.

